Faith in the Future (Louis Tomlinson album)

Following the release of his debut album Walls, Tomlinson confirmed in July 2020 that he would be working on his second album.[6] Tomlinson confirmed that he had finished the album in August 2022.[7] Upon the album announcement, he wrote;

I'm so excited to finally tell you that my new album Faith In the Future is out 11th November. After living with this album for a while I can't wait for you all to hear it. Thank you for allowing me to make the music I want to make.[4]

Tomlinson also stated that he had enjoyed the recording process a lot more than working on Walls.[7]

A deluxe CD zine edition of Faith in the Future includes two more songs, "Headline" and "Holding On to Heartache".[8]

On 29 September 2022, Tomlinson appeared on American DJ Zach Sang's YouTube podcast Zach Sang Show, where he talked about how Faith in the Future became the title of the album;

In lockdown, for whatever reason, that phrase found its way onto my lap and it spoke to me in a certain way. I wanted this album to feel more hopeful than my last record, and I think it does that from the off of that statement. About 9 months ago I put out on my social media that phrase with no context and I just felt there was this kind of magic around that phrase, so I kinda built the album around it.[9]

Tomlinson announced "Bigger Than Me" as the first single, which was released on 1 September 2022.[10][11] The second single, "Out of My System", was released 14 October 2022.[12] On 8 November 2022, Tomlinson announced via his social media that "Silver Tongues" will be released as the third single on the following day.[13]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	68/100[14]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Clash	5/10[16]
Dork	[17]
EUPHORIA	[18]
NME	[19]
The Guardian	[1]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional critics, the album has an average score of 68 out of 100, based on four reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

In a mixed review, Clash writer Robin Murray stated that "Faith in the Future" can at times become stuck in formula, failing to rock the boat in the process," and added that "It's all perfectly pleasant, but you end up yearning to an injection of… well, anything, really."[16] Writing for Dork Jessica Goodman described the album as "eclectic, electric, and always energetic" while also stating that it's "a collection of songs purpose-made for pints-in-the-air, arms-around-shoulders, voices-to-the-rafters sing-alongs."[17] Rhian Daly of NME notes that the record "feels much more assured" and "is a solid step forward as the musician continues what he's acknowledged will be 'an ever-evolving process'."[19] The Guardian's Alim Kheraj lamented that "Tomlinson himself, is lost in a sea of influences", but pointed out that "apocalyptic rave synths and woozy reverb-heavy guitars at least gesture towards experimentation."[1]

Faith in the Future debuted atop in the UK with 35,239 units sold in its first week making it his first in the country.[22] Tomlinson spoke about earning his first number one in the UK calling it "an absolute honour."[5] In addition, the album also peaked at number one in Argentina, Belgium, and Spain.

In the US, the album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 selling 43,000 album-equivalent units, including 37,500 in pure album sales. This marks Tomlinson's highest-charting effort and his best selling week to date.[23]

• List of number-one albums of 2022 (Belgium)
• List of number-one albums of 2022 (Spain)
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2020s
• List of UK Album Downloads Chart number ones of the 2020s
• List of UK Independent Albums Chart number ones of 2022